Music for Modern Dance, Vol. 2; Pat Richter, piano, with June Finch

Piano improvisations of Pat Richter for modern and classical dance technique classes. Recorded live during classes with master teacher June Finch. Pat began playing for Merce Cunningham in 1967 and began working with June Finch in 1969.

Genre: Classical: Ballet

Release Date: 2006

We'll ship when it's back in stock

Order now and we'll ship when it's back in stock, or enter your email below to be notified when it's back in stock.

Sign up for the CD Baby Newsletter
Your email address will not be sold for any reason.

ABOUT THIS ALBUM

Album Notes

Piano Improvisations for Modern and Classical TechniquePianist Pat Richter began playing for Merce Cunningham in 1967. She began working with June Finch in 1969 when June joined the faculty of the Cunningham Studio. Share the talents of these two masters of the dance world in this album, recorded live in 2005 during classes in Provincetown, Massachusetts by Steven Stull.

Pat Richter comes from New York City, has a BM from the Eastman School of Music, and an MM from the Manhattan School of Music. “I started improvising at age six when my teacher said, I have to hold a half-note for two counts, and I said, ‘Why? the composer isn't here.’“I've been changing other people's music ever since then, and thanks to Merce, have been playing my own music since I started accompanying him in 1967. When I lived in Las Vegas, I went into a recording studio and improvised for an hour, which became the music for Cunningham's TV video, Deli Commedia.”

June Finch has been on the faculty at the Merce Cunningham School since 1969 where she was first privileged to work with Pat Richter. She received her degrees at Sarah Lawrence College and assisted Bessie Schonberg in composition at the American Dance Festival. During the Seventies, June performed and toured with Viola Farber’s company, followed by years of teaching and choreographing independently in NYC. In the Eighties, she taught most extensively at SUNY Purchase and Cornell University, and over her career has taught scores of short term residencies in the US and abroad. Summers, June teaches and choreographs for her group, Danceworks, in Provincetown, MA. In 2005 she collaborated with Pat to revive her children’s musical, Phoebe and the Pheasant, which she plans to market to performing groups in the near future.